A Snow Day Is Seldom Born Without Agony

Of all the important decisions school superintendents make annually, declaring snow days is the most discussed and visible. It is a decision the veterans approach with caution and dread.

Kids would tell them it's easy. If there is snow on the ground and in the air, it's time to call the local radio station. It's too late to plow the streets in time for school.

What students don't know is the agony suffered by their superintendents, who must weigh the condition of the weather, roads and sidewalks and then prepare to weather the parental reaction to their decisions.

Either way they decide -- unless the snow and ice is obviously treacherous -- superintendents can expect to hear complaints that they failed to look out their windows to see what the weather was like.

Safety is the primary concern. But superintendents must also consider the disruption they will cause to family schedules and the effect their decision will have on the length of the school year.

Deciding whether to cancel classes or simply delay the opening of school for an hour or two makes the decision even harder. If, by delaying, a superintendent can still get in four hours of instruction, the state will credit a full day of school. In recent years, teacher workshops have stolen five or six days from the school year, which means snow days must be made up in late June. No one likes a longer school year. So school delays are becoming more common -- but dicey to call. "Too much thinking can paralyze you," said Enfield's Superintendent Louis Mager who has called snow days for 20 years. He figures there are 10 to 15 days each winter when the weather might affect a school day. The days when the weather is fickle are toughest. "You make a decision at 5:30 a.m. It's a long time until 8:30 a.m.," Mager said. A slight change in temperature can make the superintendent look like a fool or a forecasting genius.

Fortunately, Hartford area superintendents don't have to act alone. In the dark hours of cold winter mornings, they seek each other's advice and support before putting their professional judgment on the line.

"It's probably the worst job I have," said Plainville

Superintendent James Ritchie, who has been plotting the weather for his school system for eight years. "The stress is greater than anything else we do." He remembers ruefully the day a fast-moving storm stalled over Plainville about 6 a.m. He had already sent the buses out, and students came to school even as snow piled up on the roads. "That's the day the wrath of the public came in," he said.

Last year Ritchie's burden was greater. As the head of the Hartford Area Superintendents Association, which includes 33 towns, he was the first one up on snowy mornings to begin the weather watch. This week he was back on temporary duty because the association's current head was away.

When the forecast includes a chance of bad weather, the head of the association rises at 4:45 a.m. and calls the weather service at Bradley International Airport. He also calls the state transportation department, the local bus operator and the police to get their views of the situation.

At 5:15 a.m., the association's head calls five superintendents whose towns are spread around the area. They share information about local conditions, which can vary widely. After conferring, they call other superintendents, starting a chain of calls to inform every member of the association. "If nothing else it's a support group," Mager said.

Still, superintendents know who will get the calls when the weather turns against them. Readers may call me at 1-800-524-4242, Ext. 6595, or write to 285 Broad St., Hartford, CT 06115.